Systems to detect and warn of unsafe conditions are frequently used in vehicles. Some systems detect unsafe conditions related to treads on a tire of a vehicle. A tire tread comprises a pattern of ridges or grooves made or cut into the face of a tire. Adequate vehicle tire treads are designed to grip a road surface to prevent a vehicle from sliding on the road during inclement weather. In contrast, inadequate tire treads may slide and cause a vehicle to move in an uncontrollable manner resulting in an accident. An inadequate tire tread is 1/16 inches away from a base of the tire.
There are several conventional systems that detect unsafe tire conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,771,169 issued to Kaminski et al. on Aug. 3, 2004 detects an unsafe tire condition by monitoring a parameter such as tire pressure. The tire pressure is compared over time to detect tire tread separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,741,169 issued to Magiawala et al. on May 25, 2004 senses parameters such as tire pressure and acceleration to determine the condition of the tire. Each parameter is compared over time to determine tire tread wear. Once a significant difference is detected in one of the parameters, a warning signal is generated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,192 issued to Benedict et al. on Apr. 20, 2004 also monitors tire pressure via a sensor. An antenna wirelessly signals a receiver if a significant difference in tire pressure is detected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,637 issued to Losy on Oct. 14, 2003 is related to a tire pressure sensor mounting assembly coupled to the tire rim. The tire pressure is compared over time to determine whether a significant difference exists.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,080 issued to Buist et al. on Dec. 23, 2003 measures tire wear through pressure sensors mounted in the tire. All of these conventional sensor systems have drawbacks. For example, sensors add cost to detection systems. Additionally, sensors may fail or may not be as accurate as is needed to precisely detect conditions such as the wear on a tire tread. Furthermore, these conventional systems require memory to compare tire pressure data. Memory also increases the cost of conventional systems. It is therefore desirable to have a system that overcomes these disadvantages.